About

You may have seen his name on a boat at Great Falls Park, or on signage at Aldie Mill, but to most Loudouners, Charles Fenton Mercer is an unknown. Public historian Nancy Spannaus will bring his career to life and highlight the man and his significant contributions to Loudoun, Virginia, and the nation. Mercer came on the political scene in Virginia in 1810 as a Federalist delegate from Loudoun in the House of Burgesses. Ultimately, as a U.S. Congressman, he joined the nationalist faction of the Democratic-Republican party.
Spannaus will reveal a surprising aspect of Loudoun history, at a time when it was considered the Federalist stronghold of Virginia. These two political parties, formed just after our country was founded, will be compared and contrasted.